The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-07-27
THE VENERABLE KAISER.

Emperor Williams MONDAY Appear.
ance at Corner Window of His Pal
ace.
docs the Kaiser really come to tho
corner window every noon, and stand
there just as you see him in the photo
graphsp" When stranger has put
this Anticipated question to the porter
of his hotel or the mistress Of his PEN
sion, or the first Berliner whose &C
duaintance he makes, and has received
a polite and wearied Certainly for
his answer, he is conscious of u sud-
den influx of faith in the words OF the
guide-books and of the people who
may have wished to sell him the
famous photograph in question. Per-
haps now he purchases the photograph
in anticipation, as sovcnir of the sight
he hopes for, and at any rate he will not
belikc ely to miss the first opportunity OF
Joining the crowd that waits in front
of the palace every noon as the guard
is changed and the new detachment
of soldiers goes marching by, for
glimpse of the Kaiser He may posi-
bly, consider it one of the events OF
his life to see the gray monarch and
join in the simple act of homage. 10
the student, however, who frequents
the university opposite the palace
there are, of course. masy students
who do nothing of the kind-the cere-
mony at the corner window takes on
at least familiar aspect, although,
like the experience of hearing Momm-
sen or, Curtus or Herman Grimm
every morning, it can never, however
often repeated, prove quite common
place.
The crowd begins to gather long be-
fore the hour, and it is curious to watch
its growth. Some one usually sets the
example by stopping in his saunter
and leaning up against the railing that
surrounds the gigantic bronze statue
of the great Frederick on horseback,
which is in the middle of Inter den
Linden, exactly in front of the unpre-
tending palace, and which is still
known by the name so familiar to
Berlin for hundred years, "Der Ate
Fritz" Just who the first person is to
lean up against the railing, and look
patiently toward the corner window,
varies much from day to day. 1t may
be labOrer out of work, or a DleRSt-
mann waiting to be employed, or a
peasant from the Gruenwald, or an
eye-servant on her way home from a
late marketing, or q small boy, or a
foreigner determined to be at the
place on time; but the frst-comers are
generally the sort of people who
lean naturally against fence or its
equivalent, the world over. AS soon
as there is d nucleus additions come
rapidly. Passers-by glance at their
watches, find that business is not SC
pressing and conclude to wait; fathers
and mothers bring their long-sufferine
babies to see the Kaiser. who can moi
come to the window many years more,
perhaps not many days; old men STOP
to see man older than any of them
young women. full of patriotic senti.
ment, push for good places, and by
there is only half an hour to wait il
becomes necessary for policemen tc
take languid interest. They keep
the crowd back, in solid mass ur
and down the middle of the street,
leaving in front of the people ample
room for carriages and for the soldier:
who are coming. 1t is silent, patient
heavy-witted crowd, rather slow tt
laugh, though not at all averse to it
and very slow to be angry. The
weather seems to have almos
no effect upon the size Of the throng
II it rains, the people looked de
pressed, but it does not seem to Occur
to them to 60 home; if it is sunshiny
there is more animation, and OCCASION
ally, though not often, some one dare:
to address humorous remark to pc
liceman. AS noon approaches there
are hundreds present, and when a
length the march-music is heard com
ing up the street, all who are within
running distance hasten up students
condescend to walk over from the uni
versity, and belated women come
crowding into the lines, getting theil
handerchiefs ready to wave. The
drum-beats grow nearer. Here come!
the guard, marching to some favorit,
air of the Kaiser's, solid fellows from
the provinces. not stepping brilliantly
though well together, and with stou
hearts for the fatherland, let us hope
poor boys. And just as the fore
most files reach the palace win
dows on the corner toward tn
opera-house and the armory, there
yes. there is the Kaiser, saluting al
they pass. Here he is" Here he is,
is cried, and the crowd wave their hat
and handkerchief and stout: "Hurra
Oh, Hurra!" The grave old man be
hind the window smiles in respons
and salutes again and again, and then
with the slow unsteadiness of age
turns away, and all is over.
You feel better in some way, repub
lican though you are and living in
leveling time, that you have taken Of
your hat with the rest; for the Kaiae,
has the love of most of bis subjects an,
the respect of all; he has been, per
haps, the most fortunate European
ruler of the century, though not with
out long waiting and deferred hopes
he has been a hard worker, q plain MAJ
in plain house, whose life has never
hann an nasx- e>no n,>l .,,t,>.. I